


O.W.L.s

by Yatorihell



Series: In The Darkness [57]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, ノラガミ | Noragami (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:34:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26305675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yatorihell/pseuds/Yatorihell
Summary: With Tenjin gone, Headmistress Oshi reigns over Hogwarts. With O.W.L.s exams in full swing, Yato suffers another far more disturbing vision.
Relationships: Bishamonten | Vaisravana/Kazuma, Iki Hiyori/Yato
Series: In The Darkness [57]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/547369
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	O.W.L.s

The Daily Prophet lay in heaps on the Great Halls tables the following morning, the headline _‘TENJIN FLEES HOGWARTS AFTER SORCERER HOAX’_ splashed in bold letters over a sepia moving picture of him sat at his desk.

Murmurs from students rippled throughout the castle for the rest of the day, not just because Tenjin had left, but because Oshi was appointed Headmistress of Hogwarts by the Ministry of Magic.

Whilst Professor Tsuyu was a close friend of Tenjin, she was permitted to stay at Hogwarts after a short inquest found no wrongdoing on her part. However, Oshi had announced that evening that Professor Tsuyu would ‘no longer be required to fulfil her duties to the Headmaster’, and had been ‘demoted’ back to her sole role of Professor.

The entire school could see – despite Professor Tsuyu’s short head bow acknowledging this development – that she was not pleased with being belittled by a jumped-up, underqualified excuse for a teacher, but she didn’t let it show.

The Hogwarts Order of the Phoenix had been disbanded and spared expulsion as Tenjin had taken responsibility for the group, although the trio had a sneaking suspicion that Oshi wanted them gone altogether.

Yato, Yukine and Hiyori watched as Kiun perched on top of a wobbly wooden ladder, carrying yet another Educational Decree. It was May now, and it seemed Headmistress Oshi wasted no time in setting out more Educational Decrees, each more ridiculous than the last. They were banned from talking about ‘the upsetting events of last year’, which Yukine cursed at, and use of the library was restricted.

Most worrying of these decrees was the new addition being tacked to the ever-growing collection that framed the Great Halls door. _Educational Decree Number Eighty-Two: Students Must Submit to Questioning about Suspected Illicit Activities._

At first they’d feared Oshi would be using her Black Quill once again to maim students, but whispered talk between students revealed that a truth potion was being used as a more humane way to extract non-existent information about illicit activities.

It seemed the Hogwarts Order was well and truly dead. Yukine let out a frustrated huff and turned on his heel away from the hall, Yato and Hiyori in tow.

The usual peace of the castle was periodically interrupted by a tannoy system that had been introduced, allowing Headmistress Oshi’s voice to ring throughout the castle and follow them wherever they went.

 _“Boys and girls are not permitted to be within eight inches of each other,”_ the squeaky tannoy rang out, and Yukine gritted his teeth.

Yato and Hiyori exchanged looks, and their gaze dropped to their sides. Yato decided that he was not eight inches away from Hiyori, but he didn’t particularly care what an old hag like Oshi thought was an ‘educational’ decree. It seemed Hiyori didn’t either as neither moved apart as they continued walking to their next class.

The only peace in the castle was the greenhouses or the dungeons where the tannoy system couldn’t reach. Thankfully, they had Potions that morning.

“What do we do about this then?” Yukine asked. His voice rang hollow as they descended into the bowels of the castle, dripping eater echoing around them in stagnant puddles.

“We’d get snitched on immediately if we tried anything,” Yato said. He knew Nora was watching somehow; she did have some sort of ‘friend group’ which they had met when Oshi found them training.

“I can’t risk telling Sakura either as they’re checking the post now, so I hope Madame Kofuku has told her what’s going on.”

The walked in silence for a moment, save for the echo of their footsteps and constant leaks that paved their way through the dungeons. The sickly smell of ingredients greeted them before they could see the classroom, a smell they had become accustomed to in their Potions class, and Hiyori interjected a ray of optimism.

“The Order must be close to getting the prophecy by now,” Hiyori said quietly, seeing a few students loitering ahead of them on the corner.

Yato hummed his agreement. That much was true, but they wouldn’t know until they would go home for the summer and be away from the Ministry prying eyes. 

They arrived outside the Potions class and were among the last few students to take their places in a cavernous alcove in front of Madame Kofuku.

Yato prayed that Sakura knew he was ok, but for now, they would have to wait.

~

When Professor Tenjin warned them about OW.L.s exams, they didn’t expect it to be _this_ hard.

For two weeks, the fifth and sixth-year students slaved over their chosen topics, mostly regretting every decision they made. It made it no easier with the library being restricted; studying became near impossible.

The Room of Requirement may have been useful, but Yato, Hiyori nor Yukine were willing to risk getting caught in there again. Instead they made do in their common rooms (also restricted use, Merlin knows why), bedrooms, and occasionally in an abandoned classroom.

When the last day of O.W.L.s exams came upon them, a collective sigh of relief could be heard throughout the castle. For Yato, his last exam was Divination. He was sure he had failed Ancient Seals – by far his least favourite class – but he thought he did ok on the rest of them.

The sixth-year students sat in neat rows in the Great Hall as usual for their exams, the scratching of quill on parchment softly filled the room. It would have been a calm exam, akin to a Defence Against the Dark Arts class, if it weren’t for Nora in the back corner.

How she was allowed to sit the exam was beyond him, as she had only been present for one term of the year. It also seemed that she was in every exam Yato took, which couldn’t be a coincidence.

Another pair of eyes watched over him and the class; Headmistress Oshi.

She sat in Tenjin’s high-backed oak chair in the centre of the stage, looking out over the room for would-be cheats. She wore her usual white robes, something which hadn’t changed despite her change in status, and kept her hands folded on her lap throughout the entire exam.

Yato felt strange when he looked at her. It was unnatural, how such a mechanical woman could sit so still when just a few weeks ago she looked ready to commit an unforgivable curse in front of the Minister of Magic.

She must have noticed Yato’s quill not moving as she looked across the room and fixed her eyes on him. Yato winced, feeling a twinge in his head. He dispelled in with a shake and looked down at his half-written sentence with a sigh.

It felt like an eternity until he bell rang, signalling the end of the exam as well as the O.WL.s period. The parchment was collected, and the class dismissed.

Yato made his way out of the Great Hall into the hallway amongst the hustle and bustle of students asking each other what they had wrote, comparing answers and lamenting over misread questions.

He had definitely failed Divination.

Yato made his way back to Slytherin to change; the summer heat had made it far too hot to stay in uniform any longer than necessary, but the cool walls that contained the dormitories were welcome.

Yato changed, opting for the light tracksuit set Sakura had bought him for Christmas and a plain white t-shirt. He hadn’t noticed before, but a little golden crown was embroidered on the right-breast of the jacket, and Yato smiled.

Yato dawdled his way back upstairs. He was thankful that school was technically over, although they still had a few weeks before they would say goodbye to Hogwarts for the summer. His smile remained as he thought of his new life awaiting him at Grimmuald Place with Sakura. And Ebisu and Buckbeak, of course.

Daylight blinded him as he reached the top of the stairs and turned right towards the Great Hall. A few students who had managed to change just as quickly as he had roamed the castle, enjoying what was left of their school life. Hopefully, it would be back to normal when they returned in September.

“Yato!”

Yato turned to look through the windowless archways of the hallway. Surprisingly, Yukine and Hiyori were waiting for him in the courtyard, hands raised in greeting. Yato clambered through the archway and landed in the flowerbed beneath it, unmindful of the flowers Kiun had just planted as he made his way towards them.

“How did it go?” Hiyori asked.

“Not great, hard to concentrate when you have daggers being stared at you,” Yato said with a wry smile. No doubt the headache had hindered him slightly, but still, he could feel it niggling in the back of his head.

“Well, you took a lot of subjects, so you will have passed enough for your N.EW.T.s,” Hiyori reminded him.

Yato nodded but his eye winced involuntarily. It was as if thinking about the pain he had in the exam had brought it back ten times worse.

It didn’t go unnoticed; Hiyori and Yukine frowned at the sudden twitch and subsequent grimace Yato made.

“What’s wrong?” Hiyori asked.

“It’s just a headache…” Yato said, but he could see both Hiyori and Yukine looking at him concerned. “Probably just from the exa-.”

A stab went through his head, and his voice cut short. His vision began to blacken at the edges, all too familiar and gut-wrenching. The words Hiyori had spoken swam away, lost in the thick air that clogged his senses and his throat.

The last thing he saw was Yukine reaching out to him and Hiyori’s panicked expression as he keeled over, and the world vanished.

~

Yato’s eyes opened, and within a moment he knew where he was.

Thousands of milky orbs lined the shelves around him, stretching out and up forever until they pinpricked the darkness like stars. The Department of Mysteries.

Whispers were interrupted by a scream that had Yato spin around, followed by a low, cajoling voice that he couldn’t make out.

A dark figure stood in the distance facing away from him. Yato stepped forward carefully, but his footsteps made no sound. Another scream, this time nearer, and Yato’s blood ran cold.

He stepped forward again, and it seemed he had transported to the unknown man’s side. He didn’t seem to sense Yato’s presence despite him only being over his shoulder, but it gave Yato a clear view of his face.

He wore dark robes, but his hood was pulled away from his face. He could see his light brown hair parted in the centre of his forehead in two lank bangs, and the twisted smirk on his face as he stared down at his victim.

His wand moved again with a wordless spell, and another scream ripped from their throat. Yato felt bile rising in his throat, and unwillingly looked down at the victim.

He froze.

“Please, don’t, no, please, I’m sorry, _PLEASE_ …”

A shaky arm supported her collapsed body whilst the other was raised in a pitiful defence. Her clothing had been torn at the shoulders and chest. Deep gashes leaking blood ran in rivulets down her arms and face onto the dark marble floor which reflected the pitiful scene.

“Sakura?” Yato breathed, and all too quickly everything snapped into place.

The orbs which fenced them in an endless maze, the whispers of truths untold, and the prophecy which lay in one of them that Sakura had come to collect… and the identity of the man torturing her.

Yato snapped his head back to the man, a face he should have recognised, but his vision was blackening once again.

A flick of the wand, and Sakura’s scream ripped straight through him.

“ _YATO!_ ”

~

Yato startled awake. A deepening blue sky hung over his head as did Yukine’s and Hiyori’s worried faces.

Yukine and Hiyori knelt beside him, and Yato was pretty sure Yukine had been slapping his face from the sting in his cheeks. This was the first time they had witnessed Yato have a vision, and it terrified them.

He tried to push himself up but Yukine had already placed a hand on his back to sit him upright.

“What did you see?” Hiyori asked.

Yato blinked, unsure whether he was about to cry or go into a frenzy when he realised that not only had the Sorcerer got into his head, but what he was doing.

Sweat dripped underneath Yato’s shirt collar and his back felt sticky under his jacket. Regardless, Yukine’s hand stayed.

“Sakura’s.. at the… Ministry… Sorcerer… attack,” Yato’s words came in short bursts, barely able to keep his breathing under control as panic threatened to engulf him.

It was just like Daikoku, but the Sorcerer himself was the perpetrator. A nauseating question came to Yato: _Was he too late?_

Yukine and Hiyori exchanged looks over Yato, eyes wide.

“Yato,” Hiyori said gently. “What if this is a trap, to lure you to the Ministry?”

“No!” Yato exclaimed, taking the pair aback. He knew they had a point – as Madame Kofuku had told him that his mind could be distorted – but he couldn’t shake the image of Sakura on the floor, bleeding out, screaming his name.

“We should call Grimmuald Place first, to see if she’s there,” Yukine said in an equally gentle voice. His eyes darted to Hiyori then back to Yato. “If she isn’t then we can get Madame Kofuku to send help.”

Yato could see he would get nowhere faster by arguing – even though he had seen Sakura in the Department of Mysteries himself – and agreed.

Yato pulled himself up with Yukine’s help, supported on the shorter boy for a short distance to the nearest office, which so happened to be Professor Takemikazuchi’s.

Thankfully, it was unlocked, and Hiyori popped her head around the door to make sure the coast was clear. The three of them piled in and closed the door behind them, hoping the professor wouldn’t be back anytime soon.

The office was smaller than most of the others, perhaps because the walls were lined with large wooden shelves that contained enough bottles to rival Madame Kofuku’s collection. The stout desk was placed in front of the window facing straight at the door and a shaggy black rug carpeted the flagstone.

Yato and Hiyori wasted no time ransacking the office in search of a familiar pouch of Floo Powder, whereas Yukine had made a torch out of one of the gas lamps to light the fireplace.

A thin whisper of smoke floated through the office when Yukine blew out the torch, stoking the fireplace with a poker in a bid to make the flames grow higher.

“Here!” Hiyori exclaimed.

Yato turned and saw Hiyori stood next to one of the shelves on the far side of the room. In her raised hand she held a large black pouch dusted with green powder. She threw it and Yato caught it deftly, emptying half the contents into his hand as he approached the fireplace.

Please, be at home, Yato prayed. He drew nearer to the fireplace, hand raised to the powder into the flames.

The door slammed open.

Hiyori let out a yelp and jumped back into the shelf, knocking a few bottles onto the floor with a shatter. Yato spun and the Floo Powder flew out of his hand, but only a fragment reached its intended destination in the auburn flames.

Three figures stood in the doorway, blocking out the sunlight that filtered in through the hallway’s arches. Headmistress Oshi, Professor Takemikazuchi… and Nora.

~

After sending Professor Takemikazuchi to capture Kazuma and Bishamon – who were deemed equally guilty due to their participation in the Order –, Oshi marched the trio up to the Headmistress’ office with her wand aimed at their backs.

“You three,” Oshi hissed, “have been nothing but a thorn in my side. Spreading _lies_ , and _dissent_ , creating a _rebellion_!”

Yukine and Hiyori exchanged looks at Yato who stood between them. It seemed Oshi had completely lost her mind, drunk on power and blind to the truth just like the Minister of Magic. Now they were held hostage by a madwoman and her snitch who walked ahead of them up the spiral staircase, far away from witnesses.

But her next words would send a shiver down their spine when they realised the incident in the Muggle world was no accident.

“It was all I could do to send the Dementors to kill you before you could prove the Sorcerer has returned.”

Hiyori froze on the spot, feet on uneven steps. The group paused along with her, and Yato felt heat rise in his chest. He looked at Hiyori, who was too shocked to shed tears at the revelation, and felt guilted. It was his fault she got attacked again, all because they wanted him silenced permanently.

 _So the Ministry sent the Dementors? If that was the case, the Minister was as crazy as Oshi to allow such a thing,_ Yato thought.

His thoughts were interrupted by Oshi jamming her wand into Hiyori’s back, barking _“Move!”_ and Yato gently pulled her by the hand. Yukine gave a sympathetic look at Hiyori as they walked the final flight of stairs in silence, and arrived at Oshi’s office.

Yato glared daggers at Nora once the door had slammed shut behind them. She stood against the wall close to Oshi, her eyes looking straight into Yato’s as Oshi took her place beside her desk. Whilst she had looked at Hiyori and Yukine in disdain before, now it was replaced by something that looked like regret when she looked over the trio.

 _You’re such a bitch,_ Yato thought bitterly, and Nora looked away.

Not too long later – whilst Oshi held her wand at the three of them – Professor Takemikazuchi knocked and entered. In front of him he herded Bishamon, Kazuma, and the Ravenclaw girl, Touma, who had been unlucky enough to have been dragged into this mess as well.

Professor Takemikazuchi guarded the door, arms folded. The students crowded in front of the desk where Oshi stood beside her chair, glaring down at the troublemakers.

“I know Tenjin is talking to you, conspiring against the Ministry,” Oshi accused. Her eyes had become a more saturated grey, madness raging behind those glassy eyes that looked down on them. 

Kazuma and Bishamon gave puzzled looks to Yato and Hiyori respectively. Yato gave an imperceptible shake of his head, willing them to remain silent. This didn’t concern Tenjin; it concerned Sakura and her whereabouts, which neither of them would know about.

Professor Takemikazuchi looked mildly comfortable, though he hid it behind a façade of grouchiness at being pulled into trivial matters.

“Headmistress, be as it may, these three broke no rules -,” he looked at the three of them pointedly, “aside than breaking into my office.”

“They were using an illicit substance to contact a traitor of the Ministry!” Oshi screeched.

Professor Takemikazuchi blinked in disbelief. Her entire personality seemed to have been replaced.

Touma wilted away at the harsh words, but this break in character had the trio as well as Kazuma and Bishamon intrigued. She was quick to react to any defiance now, yet she hadn’t batted an eyelid at Yukine’s outburst at the beginning of the year.

Working at Hogwarts seemed to have left her unhinged.

Oshi seemed to collect herself after realising the impact of her sudden outburst. Her deranged demeanour melted away, and an unnatural ambience settled in the room.

“Professor Takemikazuchi,” Oshi said, in a voice as sweet as poison, “please retrieve Veritaserum from Madame Kofuku. I have some questions for these students.”

Veritaserum, Hiyori recalled from Potions class, was a truth serum that would have the drinker tell all their secrets with only three drops. She looked at Yato worriedly, and he returned the look with pursed lips.

Yato knew exactly what Hiyori was thinking: a truth potion would reveal the real Order of the Phoenix, as well as Sakura. If she was still clinging to life, she would be sent back to Azkaban in a heartbeat, or receive the Dementors Kiss as intended.

“Certainly, Headmistress,” Professor Takemikazuchi said curtly. He gave a small and exited the room.

A moment after he had left, Oshi slowly directed her wand at the door.

“I have no intention,” the door lock clicked, “of using Veritaserum. You will tell me right here, right now, what Tenjin is doing.”

Hiyori could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end as Oshi directed her wand back to the group. She squeezed Yato’s hand, and he squeezed back in reassurance. 

“As this is an issue of Ministry security, you have left me no alternative.”

Hiyori looked to the door, bidding Professor Takemikazuchi or Madame Kofuku to enter, but no footsteps could be heard. It was clear that Oshi never intended to use the potion, yet there was another way to extract information from them.

“The Cruciatus Curse.”

“That’s illegal!” Bishamon cried. Kazuma placed a hand on her arm as she took a step forward, warily eyeing Oshi who flicked her wand in their direction at the outburst.

“The protection of the Ministry is of the upmost importance,” Oshi said. “Such illicit activities that threaten it must be met with force.”

Bishamon was not one to step back, but Yato stepped ahead of her.

“You can start with me then.”

Yato’s eyes flickered to Nora, who watched him wide-eyed as if she couldn’t believe what he was doing. Then again, he had changed since they were siblings. He wouldn’t let his friends get hurt.

Yato looked behind him at Hiyori and Yukine who gave him startled – no, _terrified_ – looks, as he put himself at Oshi’s mercy. He turned back to Oshi, watching her levelly as her wand’s attention was drawn to him.

“I am the only person who has talked to Tenjin.”

Maybe Yato was stupid – something Yukine had thought since the day they met – but right now he was stupidly brave. The Cruciatus Curse was unforgiveable for a reason, and no one could withstand its effect.

“Very well,” Oshi replied, too calmly for what she was about to do. Oshi’s wand raised to Yato’s chest, and her thin pink lips parted.

“ _Cr-_ ,”

“No!” Hiyori shouted. She lunged forward, and Yato found himself stumbling under the force of her arm sweeping him behind her. Her arms came to rest slightly behind her, keeping Yato covered aside from his head which was nearly a foot higher than hers.

Despite the height difference, Hiyori remained steadfast in the wands aim, breathing slightly faster than usual as she clenched a fist in Yato’s jacket.

The spell died on Oshi’s lips and the room stood in dumbfounded silence.

Oshi’s mouth twitched sporadically, and Yato worried that she would lose it altogether and ‘ _Crucio_ ’ all of them. Defenceless, he slowly placed a hand on Hiyori’s back the least he could do was push her out of harm’s way should Oshi attack.

“If you won’t tell her where it is,” Hiyori addressed Yato without looking at him, “I will!”

 _What the hell is she talking about?_ Yato thought for a brief second, until he realised what she was doing; she was trying to protect him.

Hiyori looked down at the floor, but she knew all eyes were on her. Oshi’s, on the other hand, were alight in victory at the mention of an item and its whereabouts.

“Tell me where what is?” Oshi urged.

Yato’s eyes looked down at Hiyori, feeling her hand shake against him from the tightness of her grip.

He was unable to see Hiyori’s face even as she raised it to face Oshi, revealing what she would believe to be the downfall of the Ministry.

“Tenjin’s secret weapon.”

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't had the chance to write so no update for a week or two til I move again.


End file.
